- using geographic modes and sources of representation
- analysis, synthesis, representation - as labels - i.e. these categories as organizing structure (e.g. analysis of map, representation using maps, synthesize = strategies for decision making; pull it together, what's missing, what needs to be brought into the decision)
- analysis/representation = deciding what you've learned
- synthesis = deciding what you're going to do - how to generalize from data - focus on systems thinking
text -e.g. poem, newspaper article, speech, letter to the editor, first person accounts, case study
maps e.g. thematic maps,
graphs e.g. stacked bar graphs, multiple line graphs, population pyramid,
statisticse.g. GPS data, CIA factbook data, census information
video/multi-mediae.g. advertisements, commercials, songs, video clips, podcast, radio/tv broadcast
Geographic Importance
Which are the most geographically important (relevant to the issue) statements?
Examine fiction (poetry, novels, licence plates!) to determine the importance of items chosen (e.g. weather, landform, location) to that location's identity. (look for clues about place and its importance - is this sense of place?)
Decode the puzzle: Examine a month's worth of newspaper headlines to determine most newsworthy issues and determine whether or not they were deserving of that much attention.
Create mental maps and determine beliefs about relative importance from them.
Decide whether a place (e.g. country) is important given a set of statistics
Evidence and Interpretation
To what extent is the description (e.g. poem) misleading or representative
What conclusions can we draw from a map?
Does the categorization fit? (e.g. 3-world model for categorizing countries)
Literal Interpretation vs. inferential interpretations
What is the most outrageous/
contentious claim made by the anti-global warming lobby (The great global warming swindle, Day after Tomorrow, 2012)?
To what extent is this movie geographically accurate/ realistic?
Patterns and Trends
Determine the extent to which 2 regions are more similar than they are different.
Based on current patterns, make a plausible prediction re: future trends + plausible predictions re: implications for society and environment.
Identify patterns given data -from multiple sources (synthesis).
What conclusions can we make regarding variations over time and space?
Does the model apply in a particular instance?
Interactions and Associations
Graffiti? - what does it tell us about interactions/associations; stakeholders' perspectives on graffiti?
Using role play to get at interactions and associations.
Prepare a weather report for the likely forecast for specific place and time.
Assess the impact of a campaign on peoples' behaviour or environment
Using songs (e.g. Sarah Harmer's Escarpment Blues; Mike Ford's Oak Ridges Moraine or canoeing down the credit) as model, create a song (or rewrite the chorus or add a verse) that highlights that complexity of interactions/ associations re: a local issue.
Sense of Place
Who has a better sense of place: an insider or outsider (i.e. impact of role / perspective on sense of place)
- see geog import idea above
Formulate rich descriptions that capture sense of place.
Interpret description to construct a graph that reflects the sense of place.
Deconstruct a stereotype.
Assess the richness of the artists' representation (e.g. Group of Seven)
Geographical Value Judgments
Rate a proposal using a case study.
Use poetry (e.g. "The Thread, "La United Fruit Co.", ) to determine whether images (e.g. noose around someone's neck) are accurate reflections of the implications of consumerism.
Using a decision making structure for reaching conclusions
Do the political cartoons accurately reflect the issue they are addressing? What is the artists' message? (e.g. biofuel/corn cartoon) Which cartoon gives the most compelling opinion of the issue?
Does our level of knowledge increase our level of responsibility (our culpability)) - given the increased information reported re: garbage, waste?
Examine new consumer items (e.g. toys, kitchen gadgetry) and create a visual that reflects your analysis of the relative weight of the benefits vs. disadvantages.
How do we reconnect to the environment? Why do we still succumb to temptation even though we know that it's bad for the environment? We would never willingly hurt someone we care about - why do we continue to harm the environment?(see 2009 Massey Lectures)
Portals vs. Catalysts - our initial ideas
- using geographic modes and sources of representation- analysis, synthesis, representation - as labels - i.e. these categories as organizing structure (e.g. analysis of map, representation using maps, synthesize = strategies for decision making; pull it together, what's missing, what needs to be brought into the decision)
- analysis/representation = deciding what you've learned
- synthesis = deciding what you're going to do - how to generalize from data - focus on systems thinking
e.g. thematic maps,
e.g. stacked bar graphs, multiple line graphs, population pyramid,
Examine fiction (poetry, novels, licence plates!) to determine the importance of items chosen (e.g. weather, landform, location) to that location's identity. (look for clues about place and its importance - is this sense of place?)
Decode the puzzle: Examine a month's worth of newspaper headlines to determine most newsworthy issues and determine whether or not they were deserving of that much attention.
Does the categorization fit? (e.g. 3-world model for categorizing countries)
contentious claim made by the anti-global warming lobby (The great global warming swindle, Day after Tomorrow, 2012)?
To what extent is this movie geographically accurate/ realistic?
Does the model apply in a particular instance?
Using role play to get at interactions and associations.
Using songs (e.g. Sarah Harmer's Escarpment Blues; Mike Ford's Oak Ridges Moraine or canoeing down the credit) as model, create a song (or rewrite the chorus or add a verse) that highlights that complexity of interactions/ associations re: a local issue.
- see geog import idea above
Interpret description to construct a graph that reflects the sense of place.
Assess the richness of the artists' representation (e.g. Group of Seven)
Use poetry (e.g. "The Thread, "La United Fruit Co.", ) to determine whether images (e.g. noose around someone's neck) are accurate reflections of the implications of consumerism.
Using a decision making structure for reaching conclusions
Examine new consumer items (e.g. toys, kitchen gadgetry) and create a visual that reflects your analysis of the relative weight of the benefits vs. disadvantages.
How do we reconnect to the environment? Why do we still succumb to temptation even though we know that it's bad for the environment? We would never willingly hurt someone we care about - why do we continue to harm the environment?(see 2009 Massey Lectures)